Dr. Temple Grandin To Speak At Convocation On March 28

By: Jacob McCauley

Dr. Temple Grandin, renowned speaker, author, animal scientist, and Autism advocate, will speak on livestock handling at College of the Ozarks on March 28, 2012, at 7 p.m., in Jones Auditorium.

Grandin, born August 29, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, was diagnosed with autism in 1950. She was later placed in a nursery school that would teach her how to speak and other basic skills. “I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would just scream,” said Grandin. At the age of four, Grandin began making significant progress and attributes that to her mentors.

After graduating from a boarding school designed for gifted children, Dr. Grandin studied at Franklin Pierce College to earn her degree in psychology in 1970. In 1975, she received a master’s degree in animal science from Arizona State University, and in 1989, she received a doctoral degree in animal science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Today, she teaches at Colorado State University and consults with the livestock industry on facility design, livestock handling and animal welfare. She has appeared on television shows such as “20/20,” “48 Hours,” CNN’s “Larry King Live,” “PrimeTime Live,” the “Today Show” and has been featured on National Public Radio.

The convocation is free and open to the public. Students are allowed priority seating. For more information on the convocation with Dr. Grandin and other special guests at College of the Ozarks, contact the Public Relations Office at (417) 690-2212.